Naruto: The 10th Jinchuuriki
by Kyuubi-Tamer
Summary: When the Akatsuki discover the powers of a new Jinchuuriki, they make it their mission to take control of her...
1. Chapter 1 : Caught Again

Woot, finally got around to putting this up. The story needs alot of work yet, but for now im going to be busy on finishing another chapter or two. For those of you who love the canon characters, sorry, Naruto and the rest wont be showing up for a bit.

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**Naruto: The 10th Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter 1: Caught Again**

I was running, running for my life. I could hear the pounding of horses hooves behind me, gaining fast, faster then I could ever hope to run. There was no way I was going to loose them unless I got off the path and ducked into the forest. However, that wasnt an option at the moment, for just as this thought ran through my mind, I was struck from behind by something sharp. Crying out in pain, I fell, skidding to a halt in the dirt, searing pain lancing down my arm. Using my left hand, I gingerly pushed myself to a sitting position, so that I may face my attackers. There were six men from the Firefall Gang, all on horseback, all carrying a weapon of some sort. The man who had nicked me with his sword was Genjen, the leader, sitting arrogently atop his stallion with a triumpent sneer apone his face.

"Thought you could get away from us, huh? Well, tough luck. It isint that easy to escape once we've set our sights on such a rare prize as yourself." Genjen said as he examined the bloody edge of his blade, eyes twinkling with malice. I just sat there, feeling the poison that had been smeared on that sword slowly working its way through my body, numbing me. I couldnt even feel the gash in my shoulder anylonger, and the whole right side of me was feeling odd.

"Now then, you just be an obidient little whelp and not make any more such escape attempts. And if your good, I just might not beat you senseless, how's that sound?" The leader proposed, motioning foreward some of his men, who hopped off their mounts and approached me. At that moment one of those still on his horse gave a sudden alarm, gesturing urgently down the path the way I had been running. Slowly, and at a leisurly pace, two men were making their way up the road, wearing strange black robes decorated with red clouds.

"Eh, whats this? Ghimga, Yentar, go and deal with those two. We dont need any more trouble." The two men kicked their horses to a gallop, bearing down on the strangers and brandishing their weapons. Those who had been walking our way stopped and calmly watched them approach. I wanted to scream out, at least do something to warn them, but the poison was working too fast; I could barely even hold myself up. Apparently however, my fear was ill placed, for suddenly both of the horsemen's heads were neatly decapitaced quicker then you could follow. I merely staired wided-eyed as the headless men collapsed from their horses, and the equines were quick to flee in fright. I then noticed something that should have been plainly obvious before; a huge red scythe with triple blades lay limpy at the side of the one robed man. Blood dripped from its edges unheeded, and its owner wore a wicked grin. He was silver haired, with eerie violet eyes, and by the way he had wielded his weapon he was obviously very strong. I couldnt see much of the other man, he wore an odd hat and mask, and only his glaring green eyes were visible. All of the gang members had been stunned to silence, until Genjen finally mustered enough courage to speak.

"I don't care who you two are, but if you dont want to die, you'd better get out of here!" The gang leader bellowed, not a hint of fear in his voice even though it showed plainly on his face. I had to give the man credit, he seemed mighty brave to me to be talking in such a way to a man who had just killed two of his men in a single swipe. The scythe wielder didnt seem at all impressed though, and he continued walking towards us, his silent partner following behind. When he came within easy speaking distance, he paused long enough to wipe his blade off in the grass before saying anything.

"So, you heathens dare to threaten me? I should sacrifice the lot of you so you may burn in hell!" I believe this last statement broke the nerve of the gang members, for I could clearly see them sweating, eyes darting around nervously. Suddenly the masked man spoke up, and his emotionless voice sent shivers down my spine.

"Hold on a minute Hidan. That man there, he's got a good bounty on his head. Don't you go and cut him to pieces, you hear me?" The robed figured pointed a finger at Genjen, and the gang leader instantly froze in fright.

"Alright, alright. But that still means I can sacrifice the others, eh?" Hidan grinned, swinging his scythe to rest on his shoulders, walking foreward with a grim purpose in mind. I knew this was the end for those unfortunete members of the Firefall gang, who had been chosen to retrieve me that day. I wasnt sure what was going to happen to myself; I was kinda off to the side, my arm barely able to hold my body up in a sort of half-sitting, half-lieing position. Even Genjen knew there would be no escaping from these strangers, he sat atop his horse in a sort of horrified trance, waiting for his death to come, his men mirroring himself. Suddenly it seemed, an idea had occured to him, for he sat straighter on his mount and nervously cleared his throat.

"Hold on a second. I know who you guys are, your from that Akatsuki organization, right?" I think my heart skipped a beat when he uttered this, for it certintly spelled the end for me if such was true. I glanced nervously towards the one with the scythe, for he had stopped his approach, standing there with a bored expression on his face.

"Yeah, so? What about it?" Hidan grumbled, obviously upset that he wasnt going to kill anybody right away, but still he refrained from it just out of curiosity.

"Well, I heard your group is looking for Jinchuuriki. What if I say I happen to know where one is?" Apone realizing what their boss had planned, the remaining gang members instantly cheered up at the thought that they might just get away unscathed. I felt my chances of escape dwindling away as the gang leader spoke, my hate for him replacing any fear. Mention of the taled beasts sparked a look of interest in the Akatsuki member's face, and even his silent partner was listening.

Here's my proposal, I tell you where this creature is, and you let me and my friends go. How's that sound?" Genjen was much braver now, the quaver gone from his voice as he looked down at the sythe-wielder hopefully.

"Well, what do you think, Kakuzu? Should we trust him?" Hidan asked of his partner, turning slightly to face the man. Kakuzu seemed to be thinking things over, emerald eyes narrowed as he studied Genjen. With a slight nod of his head, the man said no more, but Hidan had been around him long enough to know that was a 'yes'.

"Alright then, you've got a deal. Where's this Jinchuuriki you've promised us?" Hidan asked of the Firefall leader, wearing an amused expression, and I tensed.

"That girl there, she's got one of them tailed beasts inside her. I just gave her a dose of poison, so she shouldnt bother you much. My gang and I were going to keep her for a little while yet, but I guess she's yours now." Even as he spoke, Genjen was turning his horse around, back the way he had come. I realized he was planning on making as quick a getaway as possible. I saw a slight movement out of the corner of my eye, and suddenly something went sailing over my head. I watched awstruck as blood gushed out from around the kunai lodged firmly in Genjen's neck. I was sure he was trying to say something then, but all that issued from his mouth were some gurgling hisses, accompanied by spouts of blood. Eyes rolling back into his head, the man twitched once, then fell off his horse dead. The stallion hardly reacted, skittering sideways and pawing the earth, I thought this might be because of good training. Anyway, the other gang members quickly fled soon after, yelling in fright.

Hidan chuckled merely to himself, clearly having enjoyed causing mayhem, though his merriment was soured by the fact that he hadnt gotten to sacrifice anyone. The other man, Kakuzu I believe, passed his partner and approached the body of the once gang leader. Reaching down, he dragged the corpse over to the nervous horse, and flung the man up onto the saddle.

"There, this time I won't be stuck carrying the bounty." Kakuzu remarked as he grabbed the reigns of the horse, leading it as he walked back my way. I mentally flinched as he stopped beside me, glaring at me with those creepy eyes.

"Look's like he was telling the truth, I can sense the chakra of a Bijuu." I wanted to back away from him at that moment, but my limbs were locked, and my muscles frozen. Hidan came and stood by the other, eyes scrutinizing me.

"So, looks like you finally got a Jinchuuriki. That just leaves three more to retrieve, huh?" Kakuzu faintly nodded, and as easy as one lifts a child, he grabbed my arm and swung me up and over the side of the horse. Lying there in that ungainly position, I was right next to Genjen, and I staired sickingly at the kuni still piercing his jugular.

"Hey wait, arn't you gonna knock her out or something? I'd hate to be bothered with catching her again if she gets away." Hidan complained, frowning at me as he watched Kakuzu lead the horse back the direction they had come from.

"Don't worry. And werent you listening? She's been poisoned recently with a drug that will keep her immobile for at least a few more hours. Anyway, first we need to stop off at the bounty station." Hidan immedietly groaned, swinging his sythe down from his shoulders to rest at his side.

"Dam it, you always have us make side-trips just so you can get some money."

"Shut up. Money's important and you know it. Your just too involved with your religous crap to realize it." Kakuzu shot back, a little anger coloring his voice. Hidan snarled but said no more, following after Kakuzu as the man took off down the path. At first I had been worried we were leaving the Fire Country into strange lands, but now I realized this 'bounty station' he talked about was deeper into the Fire Country. That was of some comfort, at least I would always know where we were, if the chance of escaping ever arose. To say the least, my ride lying across the saddle was uncomftorble at best, and I couldnt even move to adjust into a better position. Not to mention the fact that I was next to a dead man, who kept bumping into me as the horse plodded along, and he began to stink too. My captors didn't once speak to me, or even bother to look at me much more then a few glances now and then, just to make sure I was still there.

It seemed like an hour had passed before we finally made it to our destination; a small town named Windfall Village I had once visited before. Instead of walking down the main street and attracting alot of attention, Kakuzu chose to go down the back alleys, and we didnt run into anyone. When we suddenly stopped at an old run down building, I realized this must be the bounty station. And sure enough, a secret door opened in the wall to permit us to enter. Hidan however refused to go in, and was resigned to wait outside with me while Kakuzu dragged the carcuss of Gejen into the building. From my lopsided point of view, I watched the silver-haired Akatsuki member as he paced bored back and forth.

Careful to not draw his attention, I was slowly wriggling my fingers as I felt the poison begin wear off. Kakuzu had been right when he said the poison would take several hours to dissipate, but he didn't know of my superior healing ability, an attribute gained from the Bijuu inside of me. All this time we had been traveling, my body had been using the chakra of the tailed-beast sealed within to nuetralize the poison flowing in my veins. Already I could move my upper torso, and I was pretty sure I could move my head, though I didnt dare try it. Hidan was still pacing when Kakuzu finally came out of the bounty station, a breif case in hand that undoubtably held money within.

"Alright, let's get moving. I'd like to get this removal ceremony over and done with as soon as possible."

"Have you informed the Leader yet of our capture of the Jinchuuriki?"

"No, cause if I do, he will make us rush, and I dont want to do that. I just might find another bounty along the way" Hidan sighed, but then again he didn't like to be rushed into things either. In silence, we left the town, me slowly regaining movement along the way.

We were well into the woods now, when Hidan suddenly called out a warning. Instantly Kakuzu lept out of the way when a barrage of kunai struck the ground where he had been standing moments before. The horse reared up in suprise, catapulting me from its back, and I landed a bit dazed on the ground a distance away. The stallion instantly fled in fright, but no one seemed to notice. All eyes were on the six ninja that had suddenly appeared on the path ahead of us. I noticed they all wore the head band of the Konoha ninjas.

"Well, we had heard that two of the Akatsuki members were in the area, we never dreamed we would actually find you." The lead jounin of the group scoffed, eyes alert for any movement from the two before him. I could only sit there, my vision was still a bit blurred from the impact on the ground, and I couldnt trust my coordination at that moment to get up and run.

"Hidan, you take the Jinchuuriki and get out of here."

"Wait, what the hell? Why? We can take these guys easy, what you so worried about?" Hidan sneered, swinging his scythe in a leisurly fashion, very confident in his abilities.

"We can't take any chances and let this Jinchuuriki get away. Just do what I say and go!" Kakuzu yelled over his shoulder, laying his money aside and approaching the leaf ninja. Hidan, obviously frustrated, decided to obey him this once. Running back to me, he grabbed me and flung me over his shoulder, running into the woods. I lost sight of Kakuzu quickly as the dense foilage closed in, and Hidan kept running for some time until we happened apone a small stream. Here he dropped me, rather roughly, then sat down against a tree to rest. The way I was laying, there was a sharp rock digging into my back, and I couldnt stand it.

Letting out a long sigh, I sat up and stretched, and immedietly Hidan was on his feet. I just stood there, stairing at him, my golden eyes looking into his violet ones. I knew there was no chance of me escaping a member of the Akatsuki, I had heard much about their strength. Finally deciding it was best to couperate at the moment, I merely sat back down. Hidan watched me, slightly confused, but he lowered his scythe nonetheless.

"So, what gives, Jinchuuriki? Kakuzu said that you'd be numb for awhile longer. And isint it customary for a captive to try and escape?" Hidan asked, leaning against a tree, eyes never leaving me.

"My name is Akane, stop calling me that. And its because I am a Jinchuuriki that the poison didnt last so long. Didn't you realize Jinchuuriki heal faster then normal humans?" I said in a mocking tone, picking grass from my red shirt and trying not to look him in the eye. No matter how I acted, he still scared me stiff, expecially after seeing how well he weilded that scythe.

"Hrm...Akane, was it?...Anyway, that ability dosen't come with all Jinchuuriki, and how was I to know it applied to poisons too, hrm? Also, you didn't awnser my other question." I sighed again as I realized I would have to give him some kind of awnser. Anyway, I was done running for my life at every moment.

"Well, you see, being a Jinchuuriki, my life is very hard. People like you have hunted me down countless times, hoping to use my Bijuu powers for their own gain. I have no family, and everyone hates me because of whats inside of me." As I spoke, I was suprised to find tears welling up in my eyes. Hastily brushing them away, I raised my head to glare at Hidan.

"I'm only 15 you know! I was just a child when my parents were killed by men who were after me. You wouldnt understand what its like to be a Jinchuuriki, to have everyone despise you." Hidan just watched me, as I sat there trying to wipe away the tears coursing down my cheeks.

"You see, that's why i've decided to give up. I've decided that I will go with you, and you can do with me as you will. Just as long as you promise to kill me in the end." I said with renewed forcefulness, glaring at him through blurry eyes, hands clenched into fists. Hidan didnt move or awnser for the longest time, merely stood there thinking. It was hard to imagine someone belonging to such a ruthless group to show any compassion for his victim, but I was quite sure at that moment that he held some sympathy for me. Finally, after an eternity, he pushed off against the tree and walked over to the stream, not looking at me.

"You don't have to worry about that. When we have taken the Bijuu from your body, you will be dead." He said in a quiet voice, eyes cast down as he staired at his reflection in the water. I could only nod my head once in acceptance, and I was sure he knew I ment it.

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Chapter 1 down...several more to go. Hidan is a bit out of character in this chapter, and I hope to make him at least a bit more canon in the next. And yes, I know, my grammer sucks, you don't have to remind me.


	2. Chapter 2 : Sad Past

Yay, next chapter. Sorry it's so short, I wanted it to end at a certin point, and I didn't realize how little I had typed by the time I got to that specific point..._sigh_...Ah well, onto part 3.

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**Naruto: The 10th Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter 2: Sad Past**

The sun was just passing its highest point, when I suddenly became frustrated. Hidan and I had been sitting around waiting for Kakuzu to return for a little over a half-hour now, and I was becoming quite hungry. The wound on my shoulder stung, but it was already just about fully healed; I had been lucky it was so shallow. Hidan was amusing himself by cleaning his scythe, while chanting something in a voice too low for me to hear. I boredly watched him, wondering if Kakuzu had somehow been defeated by the leaf ninja, as crazy as this sounded. He was a member of the legendary Akatsuki organization afterall, though I had yet to see him in action. Feeling a bit thirsty, I climbed to my feet and walked over to the stream for a drink. Hidan looked up as I walked past him, and I could feel his eyes studying me.

"Say, uh, Akane, what Bijuu is sealed inside of you anyway?" He asked suddenly, and I stiffened, not daring to turn around and face him. Not quite knowing why, I was reluctent to tell him the truth, and I tried to desperetly find something to say.

"You see, each member in Akatsuki is assigned a certin Bijuu, and im just wondering who's target we're stealing." Hidan said in such a nonchalant way, as if it didn't really matter at all which tailed-beast I harbored. I was about to say something then, when I was suddenly hit from behind and sent flying. Landing hard on my right side, I cried out as my half-healed wound split open again, and blood seeped down my arm. My hands were forcefully jerked back behind me, and I felt some kind of rope slipped around my wrists, binding them together tightly till it hurt. Raising my head as far as I could, I looked up and found Kakuzu standing beside me.

"Hidan you dumbass. I leave you alone for a few minutes, and I come back to find the Jinchuuriki running loose." The man practically snarled, lifting me up by the ropes that bound me and hurling me back against a tree. I thought I felt something snap when I collided with the sturdy oak, sliding down to the ground in a helpless heap, blood from my wound staining my shirt. "Oh well, it's already got dried blood on it." I thought crazily, my brains obviously scrambled from receiving such a blow. As I slowly gathered my wits about me, I glared up at the robed figure of Kakuzu as he walked over and retrieved a suitcase that had been dropped.

"A few minutes? More like an hour! Where the hell have you been, making me wait like that!" Hidan yelled back furiously, his temper long gone, and I realized then that as a member of Akatsuki, you didn't neccisarily get along with your allies.

"Those Konoha ninja's made a nuisance of themselves, and when I finally dispatched of them, reinforcements arrived. Then I still had to find you, so don't you go yelling at me about time. You could have let the Jinchuuriki get away." Kakuzu awnsered a tad bit more calmly, returning to his more or less emotionless self.

"Well, you sure took your sweet time. And theres no need to tie up the Jinchuuriki, she's agreed to come obidiently." Hidan shot back, distaste for his partner coloring his voice. I didn't see any shock show on Kakuzu's face, then again it was totally covered up, but he did remain uneasily quiet after hearing this.

"You better be right, cause if she runs away, your going to be the one to fetch her." Puzzled by what he ment, I was shocked when I felt the cord around my wrists untie themselves and float over to Kakuzu, disappering up into his sleeve. Curious at this ability of his, it took me a moment to register the fact that he was going to allow me to go unhindered.

"Let's get going." Hidan glanced back at me without a word, then followed after the departing Kakuzu. Rubbing my sore wrists, I ignored my shoulder and quietly went with them. We were heading deeper into the Fire Country, taking the quickest route west, away from the eastern coast that wasn't too far from our current position. The three of us walked in silence, Kakuzu and Hidan matching each others pace, with me tagging along behind.

I had once lived by the sea with my parents, but that was a long time ago, or so it seemed. When I was just a baby, a band of strangers arrived at our small fishing village. They claimed to be ninjas from a far off country, here on a grand mission. Their leader lectured the villagefolk on the importance of their reason for having traveled so far. He told of how his people had discovered a string of ancient texts carved on the wall of a crumbling temple, telling the tale of nine demons called Bijuu's. The strength of these beasts varied depending on how many tails they had, and the Kyuubi Fox Demon was the strongest of the nine. However, this was already known to all, but what he said next amazed and frightened everyone. Apparently, the ancient texts went on to describe how every 500 years a 10th Bijuu would be reborn into our world, stronger then the rest. The ninja's claimed that this Bijuu was alive now, and they said how they knew it would on the eastern coasts. None of the villagers had dared to question how they knew it to be true, they just cooperated with the foreign ninja.

Weeks were spent searching for this beast, and when it was finally descovered, all hell broke loose. The demon, enraged at having been discovered, wreaked havoc on my village and the surrounding area. Everything was destroyed, and the survivors, my parents and I among them, were left with nothing. The ninja had all died except for one, the leader, and he was greatly sorrowed by what he had done. Trying to undo what terror had been unleashed, he pleaded with the villagers to sacrifice one of their babys for the sake of them all. Me being the only child at the right age left alive, my parents were forced into giving me up. This ninja then took me to where the Bijuu slumbered, and there preformed a sealing ritual so that the beast was confined inside me. All of this I learned years later after my parents died, from one of the village elders, he of the few people who didn't despise me completely.

When I was twelve, I left the village and decided to go east, away from the coast where all my past sorrows lay. Traveling from town to town, I tried to keep the secret of my curse hidden, but one way or the other people found out. I was first captured by a group of rouge ninjas, but I escaped from them soon after. I found that once I had to, I could access the demon chakra within me at will, and using it I could heal others wounds just as quickly as I healed myself. Besides tapping into the chakra to heal, I never dared delve further into it, least the Bijuu consume me body and soul.

When I suddenly stumbled, I was dragged from my thoughts and forced to focus on the present. Picking myself up from the ground, I rubbed my bruised elbow and silently cursed myself. Looking up, I realized Hidan and Kakuzu had stopped walking and were stairing at me. Strangely embarassed, I cast my eyes earthward, for the first time noticing how grimy I looked. The dirt didnt really show up on my dark red shorts, but it was a different story for my shirt. It was a lighter shade of red, (I have always had a likeing for the color red) and the dirt made it look very grimmy. The large tear on my shoulder certintly worsened its appearence, and I hadn't even bothered to clean off the blood that had dripped down my right side, and was now dry. All together, I definetly didn't look my best then, and I felt even worse. Hungry, thirsty, and quite tired, I wasn't sure how long I would be able to travel before collapsing. We had been walking for hours, and the sun was due to set soon.

"Maybe we should stop and rest." I heard Hidan suddenly propose, and I was instantly grateful, though im sure Kakuzu grumbled a bit. Dropping to my knees where I stood, I gladly sat there like that while the other two just stood waiting. It was then I felt the presence of others, approaching from the west at a fast pace. I knew the others could sense them coming, for they became tense and expectant. Sure enough, four ninjas came running down the path, coming a halt some distance from us. There was a girl and three guys, two of which were dressed oddly in green spandex that were very comical to look at. The oldest of the group, obviously the leader, stepped foreward with a grin on his face.

"Alright you, hand over the girl and you don't have to get hurt!" He called out, still grinning while striking a pose, and I myself just couldn't take this ninja seriously, he was just too comical. Hidan took a few steps towards the Leaf ninja, swinging his scythe excitedly.

"Kakuzu, let me handle these guys. It's been awhile since ive made a sacrifice to Jashin, and these guys will do perfectly." Kakuzu didn't awnser, so Hidan took it as a yes, holding his scythe before him as he prepared to fight.

"Lee, you back me up. Neji, Tenten, you retrieve the girl." The strange-ninja announced, slipping into a fighting stance as he too readied himself. Sitting where I was, I just absently watched, dimmly realizing that these ninja where here to rescue me. Curiously I thought about how they knew about us, but then again Konoha most likely has ninja spread all around, so it's not impossible that word of Akatsuki members in the Country of Fire got back to the village. I felt some sympathy for these strangers, they most likely didn't stand a chance against Hidan. Still too weak to do much, I watched as Hidan suddenly launched himself at the leaf ninja, scythe at the ready to kill...

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Blek, fighting scenes. Im almost as bad at them as I am at romantic scenes...but...better get started on it anyway... 


	3. Chapter 3 : The Ritual

Tsk, another short chapter, forgive me...oh, and I guess you could say this chapter has spoilers in it, but then again my whole story is full of spoilers...

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**Naruto: The 10th Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter 3: The Ritual**

"Ok Gai-sensei, im right behind you!" Lee cried, just as the silver-haired Akatsuki launched himself towards them. Hidan's first swing of his deadly weapon was easily dodged as the leaf nin lept sideways with amazing speed. Jumping backwards just in time, Hidan watched as the ground infront of him was smashed to bits as Gai kicked downwards with an amazing show of strength. Baring his teeth in a snarl, Hidan feinted with his scythe, acting as if he was going to go for the neck, but just as Gai crouched, he curved downwards. The leaf-nin fell backwards as his shoulder was clipped by one of the scythe's blades, and Hidan suddenly retreated with a triumpent grin apone his face. Gai was hardly wounded by such a blow, but none the less he realized how close a call it had been.

"Well, looks like I underestimated you. I can promise that wont happen again!" Gai proclaimed as he ran foreward, chasing after Hidan, who lept retreating backwards out of reach.

"Whats the matter, you suddenly realize how great I am, and now your scared?"

"Hell no! I just have no need for close combat now!" Hidan shot back, and as he spoke he turned his own weapon apone himself, cutting deeply into his left arm. I gasped as I watched the blood spill from the wound, but I saw no pain in Hidan's face, only a defiant grin. While his opponent stood shocked, Hidan knelt, and using his own blood he drew a strange symbol composed of a triangle inside a circle. Standing within this blood symbol, he withdrew from his robes a small spear that elongated to almost three feet. It looked quite deadly, but like the leaf ninja, I was totally confused as to its purpose. Bringing his scythe to his face, I watched in eerie facination as Hidan licked up the blood from its tip, and slowly his skin began to change color. In a few seconds the process was complete, and his whole body looked as if it had been painted black and white.

"Hah! Now you shall feel my pain, and become a sacrifice to Jashin!" Hidan whirled the spear around so it was pointing towards himself, then he drove it down uneeringly into his stomach. Gasping in suprise, I watched as Hidan barly twitched, but yet Gai collapsed grasping his own stomach. Lee, who had been standing off to the side, immedietly acted. With just as much speed as his sensei, the young ninja lept foreward and kicked Hidan in the face, hard enough to cause him to fly backwards and dislodging the spear. Suddenly the other two leaf ninja were behind me, and I watched as Kakuzu whirled around at the same moment, but he was too late. Neji and Tenten each grabbed one of my arms, and hauled me into the forest before the Akatsuki member could even react.

Suprised, I didn't resist, just let them carry me off. I was too weak anyway, but my mind turned to questioning their actions. Why would they want to save a Jinchukii such as myself? As far as I knew, all of my kind were hated and despised, and the only reason I could think of that they would save me is so that the Akatsuki organization wouldnt become more powerful. Feeling that this had to be true, I felt some resentment towards these Konoha ninja, even as they took me further and further from Hidan and Kakuzu. Held there between two ninja, I suddenly felt as if the world was spinning, then I blackened out and knew no more.

Kakuzu watched as the two leaf ninja carried off his Jinchuuriki, and he was about to pursue when another one of the pests barred his way. He would have killed the kid there and then, but he sensed the presence of other ninja heading their way, and Kakuzu knew he shouldn't waste time.

"Come on Hidan. Let's get going." Lee attempted to attack Kakuzu as he spoke, but the man easily knocked him sideways into a tree.

"What the hell! I was just getting started! Shit!" This last oath was uttered as Hidan picked himself up from the ground, rubbing his bruised cheek.

"We don't have the time. This once you have to skip your dam ritual, so shut up and lets go!" Kakuzu demanded, dashing off into the forest and out of sight. Clearly unhappy, Hidan allowed his skin to turn back to its normal color, then he too disappeared. The other Konoha ninjas arrived then, and Gai was instantly tended to by the medical ninja.

"Can you tell me what happened? Where are those Akatsuki guys?" One of the jounins asked of Gai while the man was placed on a stretcher.

"They got away." He managed to say in an almost normal voice, trying not to show the pain he felt.

"Gai-sensei! Are you ok?" Lee asked he ran to his masters side, very much worried.

"Don't worry, im fine. You go after Neji and Tenten, and make sure their ok."

"Right sir!" Lee ran off right away, following the path into the forest he had seen his fellow ninja take.

Neji and Tenten had gone deep into the forest, then turned west and started heading back the way the village was. Stopping to take a quick break, they laid the girl they had been carrying up against a tree.

"You think she's ok?" Tenten asked worriedly, taking in the strangers ragged appearence.

"There's no major injuries. Aside from some cuts and bruises, her shoulder is the only wound, though it looks fairly old and is just about healed." Neji said, Byakugan activated as he scruitinized the girls chakra. Even as he watched, he could see the swirling red chakra within her focusing itself on her injuries, healing them at an extrordinary rate. Now where have I seen this before? Neji asked himself as he watched the chakra swirl around as if alive, then knew at once this girl was just like Naruto. Turning his Byakugan 'off ', Neji stood up just as Lee came running.

"Hey Neji! Gai-sensei told me to check up on you three." His gaze at once dropped to the girl, and he frowned.

"So she's a Jinchuuriki?"

"Yes. I haven't been told much on the matter, just that the organization called Akatsuki is going around and capturing these Jinchuuriki, and she's one of them." Tenten looked back at the girl while Neji spoke, wondering how such a person could contain an all-powerful beast like a Bijuu.

"Well, we better get going then, the faster we get to the village, the better."

"Let me carry her!" Lee volenteered eagerly, and Tenten groaned but said nothing.

"Fuck!" Hidan cursed as he and Kakuzu lept from tree branch to branch, heading in the direction of Konoha.

"How the hell did we lose her so easily?! And I didn't even get to make a sacrifice to Jashin!" Kakuzu remained silent on the matter, trying to plan on what to do next. If the Leader found out about this failure, he'd make such a fuss. Not to mention that Kakuzu wasn't even sure which Jinchuuriki this one was. So far the one, two, three, six, and seven had been captured. That just left the four, five, eight, and nine-tailed beasts. The Kyuubi belonged to Itachi, and he himself had been assigned the five-tailed, but so far he had no idea where his Jinchuuriki was. For all he knew, this girl could the five-tailed, or it could be one of the other's. Didn't really matter in the long-run, since as long as he got a Jinchuuriki the Leader would be happy.

"Hey Kakuzu! What do we do now?" Hidan asked out of frustration, not exactly the type who plans ahead, leaving such things to his partner.

"We go to Konoha and take the Jinchuuriki back, of course." Hidan's frown instantly turned into a wicked grin as he thought of all the people he could sacrifice in that village.

_"Assemble at once."_

The two Akatsuki members instantly stopped where they were, and Hidan became angry.

"Fuck! You always call us back at the worst of times!" He yelled, seemingly to no one.

"Quiet Hidan. We know where to find the Jinchuuriki, so we can just retrieve it once the ritual is done."

"Tsk, fine!" Hidan lept from the tree, sitting down and falling into a trance at once; Kakuzu did the same.

Opening his eyes, Hidan found himself in a vast cavern, standing on one of the fingertips of a huge statue. Of course he wasn't really there, just a ghostly projection of himself that he could use to see and communicate over vast distances. Nearby and standing on another of the statue's digits was Kakuzu, as well as the rest of the Akatsuki members.

"So which one is it this time?" Hidan called out, violet eyes piercing the darkness as he looked down at the motionless form of the Jinchuuriki.

"Zetsu's, the eight-tailed." The Leader of the organization awnsered from where he stood, hands flying to make the neccesary hand signs.

"Now then, let's begin." At once the statue began to glow, and all the Akatsuki members put their hands up to form the same sign, heads bowed. Nine twisting dragons of light decended from the statue to strike the Jinchuuriki, and cries of agony echoed through the cavern.

* * *

Boo, that was too short, and not enough detail...may redo it later... 


	4. Chapter 4 : New Friends

Sorry it took so long to get this up, i've been kinda busy lately. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow. If not, it will be up before Friday, or so im hoping...

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**Naruto: The 10th Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter** **4: New Friends**

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"Here's the report you requested." Gai said as he handed over a file to Tsunade. The Hokage scowled at the thought of more work, but she didn't say anything. Something involving the Akatsuki was too important to set aside, so she swallowed her complaints and read quickly through what was there.

"So, the rumors are true. You picked up a Jinchuuriki from the Akatsuki members encountered earlier." Gai nodded, all serious now that such matters had come up.

"She is in the hospital now, correct? Very well. I'll assign a squad of ANBU to guard her, just in case." Tsunade signed, leaning her head on her hand as she watched Gai leave, no sign of his past injures present. Soon after he was gone, one of the ANBU members appeared before Tsunade's desk, as swiftly and stealthily as always.

"You called, Hokage?" The man asked, his face covered by a white mask with cat features on it.

"I am assigning you a very important task." The leader of Konoha responded, steepling her fingers before her as she gave the ANBU all the details.

------

Three day's later, the Ritual for the Jinchuuriki extraction was complete. All of the Akatsuki members had used up only a little of their chakra, but nonetheless they all felt the drain, if only slightly.

"Zetsu, dispose of the body." The Leader ordered, and the inhuman man eagerly dropped to the cave floor. Hidan barred his teeth in disgust, eyes turning to face Leader.

"May we go now?" He asked in a sarcastic tone, and the grey-shrouded figure narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"What's the rush, Hidan? Got some more of your pointless rituals to perform, yeah?" Deidara mocked from where he stood, safe in the knowlede that their actual bodies were miles apart.

"It's none of your damn business, art-freak!" Hidan shot back, wishing he could drive his scythe into the blonde's stomach at that moment.

"Shut up Hidan. Let's just go." Kakuzu called, and they were about to cancel their projection justu, when the Leader stopped them suddenly.

"Hold on. It must be something important if even your in a rush, Kakuzu." The man said in a sly tone, knowing instinctivly that the two of them were hiding something. Thinking it better to just tell the truth, rather then have his throat slit for lying, Kakuzu told revealed everything.

"We were at the moment tracking down a Jinchuuriki in Konoha when we were called back. So you can understand that we wish to hurry."

"That Jinchuuriki wouldn't happen to be Naruto, would it?" Itachi asked queitly from across the cave, but Kakuzu shook his head.

Everything went suddenly silent in the cavern, besides the disgusting sound of cracking bones and ripping flesh drifting up from below, but that was ignored.

"That is...impossible." The Leader breathed, suddenly very interested in things.

"And why is that?" Hidan asked, totally impatient and ready to get going.

"It's impossible because there is no other Jinchuuriki in the Fire Country besides the Kyuubi. Kisame is currently tracking the four-tailed in the Water Country, and Deidara has confirmed that your five-tail is in the Earth Country." Kakuzu became silent on the matter, but Hidan as usual was not.

"What the hell?! How can there be ten Jinchuuriki?!"

"Are you sure this person was Jinchuuriki? Did you sense the Bijuu's chakra inside of them?" The Leader asked, still not quite able to believe these turn of events. When Kakuzu nodded, with Hidan shouting in the background, the Leader immedietly came to a decision.

"Very well, we need to investigate this further. Deidara, I want you to go to the Land of Fire and help Hidan and Kakuzu obtain this Jinchuuriki.Your talents will come in handy, I believe. No doubt the Hokage there will do anything in her power to keep us from getting what we want. Sasori, remain where you are and complete the task of catching the five-tail. Dismissed." The form of the Leader shimmered, then vanished completely. Itachi, Kisame, and the other shrouded figure with blue hair all dissipated, while Zetsu sank into the floor. Sasori was next to go, while Deidara glared at Hidan before he too canceled the jutsu. Hidan spat some more curses at the parting Deidara, before he and his partner returned to their bodies.

-----------

I awoke slowly, my eyelids rising sluggishly as I tried to figure out where I was. The first thing I realized was that I was on a hospital bed, and the second was that I wasn't alone. Sitting bolt upright, I grabbed the sheets covering me and pulled them tight against my body as I staired at the figure on the other side of the room.

"Woah, easy there. I don't bite." The man said in a friendly voice, and I managed to calm down a bit. This man had long white hair, and was dressed rather oddly indeed.

"The name's Jirayah. Would you mind telling me yours?"

"Akane Akemi." I don't know what possesed me to tell him my last name, but the instant I said it, an expression of suprise appeared on the strangers face.

"Of the Akemi Clan? I thought they were all wiped out years ago!"

"They were. I'm the last one." I admitted sadly, thoughts jumping back to past times. The Akemi Clan had originated in the Stone Village many years ago, but after the Clan leader had several disputes with the Kage, the whole clan up and left. They had moved to the eastern coast in the Fire Country, and there they stayed till I was born, and until tragety struck. That this man knew about my clan was amazing; either he was old, or he traveled alot. Ever since they had left the Earth Country, people never talked about my clan much, so it suprised me he knew anything about them.

"Tell me, have you inherited the renowed abilites of your Clan?" I had to stop to think about that; I had actually never once in my life tried to perform those abilities passed down through the generations of my Clan. When I said no, Jirayah frowned, shaking his head in dissapointment.

"Too bad. I would have really liked to see such a spectacle." My head suddenly snapped up as I remembered something, and my eyes searched the room frantically. There, on the table next to me, was a ragged looking scroll, small enough to fit in my pocket. Reaching for it, I grasped it in my hand and held it to my chest, thankful that it was still with me. That scroll was the only link to my past left to me, and after the destruction of my clan everything else but it had been destroyed. Jirayah watched me curiously, then got up from where he had been sitting.

"I have to get going now. Nice meeting an Akemi."

"Wait a second! What about the Akatsuki?" I asked him suddenly, just now remembering all that had happened to me.

"Oh, don't worry about them. They wouldn't dare try going after you now that your in Konoha. Besides, the Hokage has assigned trained ninja to guard you." With that the white-haired man disappered out the window, and I staired curiously after him.

Sitting there in the small white hospital room, I thought about what Jirayah had said. So now I was in Konoha, a place I had heard much about but never seen. Leaning to the side, I could peer out the window, but that didn't offer me the best of views. Bored, I got out of bed, and not suprisingly I felt as well as ever. All of my injuries had been healed completely, and I felt fine enough to leave this Hospital. My clothes had thankfully been cleaned and mended, and I found them in a bag by the bed. Changing from the hospital gown, I stashed my few belongings, including the scroll, into my pockets. Some how I knew they wouldn't just allow me to walk out of the hospital, so I decided to leave by different route. Gazing out the window that Jirayah had left through, I saw that I was pretty high up, with the nearest rooftop quite a distance away. I certintly wasn't any ninja who could do amazing things with chakra, but I wasn't any normal human either. Leaping onto the window ledge, I gauged the distance from here to the roof, then jumped. I went sailing, and for a moment it felt almost like I was flying, but only for a moment. I hit the roof hard, rolling to a stop some feet from where I had landed, and just lay there. Arms spread out to my sides, I looked up at the clear cloudless sky, taking the time to actually appreciate the fact that I was alive.

I never sensed them coming, too relaxed was I, that it wasn't until their shadows fell apone me that I realized I wasn't alone. Startled, I sat up quickly, finding myself surrounded by four ninja wearing white masks. Each mask was decorated with animal features, and the ninja standing directly infront of me had a mask with intricate cat designs. The same ninja reached out a hand for me, and I cautiously took it. Hauling me to my feet, the person reached up and plucked off the mask.

"Hey there. The name's Ryuu of the ANBU, and we're here to be your guards." Ryuu said, grinning at me, and I heard murmers of disapproval from the others. This ANBU member certintly couldn't be much older then me, was my first thought as I staired back at his boyish grin. His hair was earthy brown, and his eyes were emerald green; he wasn't even that much taller then me. Then my thoughts turned back to what Jirayah had said about 'trained ninja' being assigned to guard me. I wasn't quite sure what 'ANBU" was, but I had heared rumors here and there, so I didn't question their talents.

"Ryuu, you know your not supposed to take off your mask when on a mission!" A feminin voice protested, and I turned to look at the other three 'guards', each of which still wore their masks.

"Oh calm down. I can at least show my face to the person we're protecting." Ryuu said in an exasperated tone, replacing his mask, then turned to face me.

"The Hokage has assigned us to watch over you, just incase those Akatsuki guys try anything. We're under orders to not allow you to leave the village, though you can explore if you wish." I frowned, knowing this would be so, but still dishearted by it. Now I wouldn't be able to go back and live alone like I had been doing, I was going to be stuck in the presence of others for who knows how long.

"Very well, I promise not to try and run away." The four ANBU members departed then, satisfied I wouldn't be difficult, though I could sense that they were still near enough to keep an eye on me.

When I finally found a way off of the roof, I strolled through the busy streets of Konoha, drinking in all the new sights and sounds. When I came to a Ramen Shop, I found I was quite hungry, so I decided to get something to eat. Among my personal belongings on the table in the Hospital, I had been left a small pouch of money. This I used to purchase some food for myself, and I sat there eating it.

"Hey! Look who's here! How'd the misson go, Naruto?" The man behind the counter greeted a boy as he walked in; he was wearing orange with black shoulders, and a leaf headband tied to his forehead. Naruto certintly didn't look happy as he awnsered the man.

"It was boring. When is that Granny gonna assign me something better?" Naruto scowled as he greedily ate at the food placed before him. I was stairing at this boy curiously, for the chakra I was sensing from him was different then what I was used to. He certintly couldn't be a Jounin, so why was his chakra aura so odd? The boy suddenly noticed my look, and he seemed to get angry about something.

"Hey! What's your problem?!" He growled, and I was caught off guard with nothing to say.

"Erm, nothing. It's just, your chakra..." My voice trailed off as I realized there was no way to explain how I had the ability to sense the presence of people by their levels of chakra, and that his was just plain different. Despite that I had merely babled, the boy's expression changed to suprise.

"How come you can see the Kyuubi's chakra?" He asked, totally baffled. I froze when he uttered this, for I knew that name well, just as I knew the name of the creature inside of me.

"Your a Jinchuuriki?!" I breathed, shocked that I had met someone like me, in a place like this. Naruto frowned, and I saw a flicker of past misery in his eyes at the mention of that title. Without a word, he payed for his food, then left the shop quickly. Not wanting to loose such an oppurtinity to talk to someone who shared my pain, I dashed after him, quickly catching up with his leisurly stride. Naruto had his chin on his chest, hands in his pockets as he walked glumly down the street. When I came up beside him, he turned to look at me, sudden anger flaring up inside of him.

"What do you want?!" I flinched, stung by the venom in his voice, but I didn't back down.

"I just want to talk to you. I understand your pain." Naruto glared at me, unbelieving, and I knew I would have to tell him everything.

"I too am a Jinchuuriki." Naruto paused midstride, mouth falling open in suprise.

The two of us found a more secluded place to talk, and there he told me all about himself, whereafter I told him about myself and what had just happened.

"The Akatsuki!" Naruto said the name like it was a foul word, fists clenched in anger. I watched him, facinated by how easily he could get angry, and just by mentioning the organation too! Suddenly, he brightened up, all thoughts of the past gone.

"Hey! I bet you know lots of cool Jutsus! Think you could teach me some?" He asked suddenly, pushing his face inchs from mine. I blushed, not just from the fact that I was embarassed by not knowing any jutsus. Pushing him away, I shook my head.

"No, sorry. I don't know any ninjutsu, genjutu, or any of those ninja techniques." I admitted slowly, and Naruto frowned, but that didn't keep him down for long.

"Ooo! I know what! I could teach you some stuff!" Naruto grabbed my hand and practically dragged me down the street.

"Hey, wait! Where are we going!?" I asked, while trying to keep up with him without falling over.

"To this real neat place to train! It's right outside of the Village!" I almost stopped then, but only stumbled a little.

"Wait a second! I can't leave the village!" Naruto finally stopped running then, letting go of my hand as he scrutinized me.

"How come?" He asked, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back.

"Cause the Akatsuki is after me, ive been ordered to stay in the Village." I said a little unhappily. Naruto just shook his head, grabbing my hand and dragging me onward.

"Don't worry! It's right outside the walls!" I could only gasp in astonishment at his blatant disreguard for the Hokage's orders, but still I went with him.

Konoha's main gate was in sight now, and Naruto wasn't dragging me along anymore; he had thankfully allowed me to run with him after the first time I fell. We were almost to the gate when I felt the presence of four chakras, so familiar to me now, closing in on us at a rapid pace. Naruto was suddenly halted by several kunai's striking the ground infront of him, and we promptly came to a halt. My four ANBU guards appeared before us then, and I knew they were angry. Then they reconized Naruto, and I sensed their anger redircted at him.

"You know your not allowed to leave." Ryuu said from behind his mask, this time following protocol and keeping it on. I hung my head, not knowing why I was ashamed of not following orders when I didn't even belong in this village. Naruto scowled, obviosuly not happy at the presence of ANBU.

"Come on! We're just going to go train! It's not we were going to go that far anyway." Naruto said, frustrated. Ryuu ignored, stepping up to me and looking into my eyes through the slits in his mask.

"Is he telling the truth?" He asked, and I felt like a kid at that moment, but I shrugged that thought away.

"Yes." I awnsered forcivly, trying to make him believe me. Ryuu scruitinized me for a bit, before nodding and backing off.

"Alright, but we have to go with you." I omly nodded, happy that I wasn't a total prisoner in this Village. Naruto, still scowling, started walking towards the gate, with me and my four guards in tow.

The rest of the day was spent in the woods, with Naruto as my teacher, and the ANBU standing as guards. I have to say, for his first time teaching anything, Naruto didn't do a bad job. We started with a few of the basics everyone learns in the Academy, though extremly shortened, including chakra control and such, then Naruto had me try to walk up a tree. I failed at this the first twenty or so times, then finally managed to make it to the top without falling off. By that time it was pitch black out, and I was exhausted. Naruto left then, and the ANBU escorted me to a room assigned to me by the Hokage. I fell asleep quickly into a dreamless slumber, strangely happy that I was on my way to being a sort of ninja.

The next morning I met Naruto at the Ramen Shop, and we went back to the training grounds. My ANBU guards were already there, having checked the place out ahead of time for any traps or such. That day Naruto taught me some more basic stuff, at least the basics that he remembered, then tried to teach me to walk on water. It was quite hard, and took me twice as long to master it then it did tree climbing. With what time was left, he demonstrated some hand signs, showing me his Shadow Clone Jutsu. I was quite amazed by this, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't perform the same jutsu. When it was time to go, the sun was just starting set; we had finished up much more quickly then yesterday. On the way home, I suddenly felt the presence of a strong chakra concentration, and it was oddly coming from above. Craning my neck back, I peered up at the darkening sky, but could only see the form of a bird. Curious as to how an animal could have such noticable chakra, I thought about it, but soon forgot and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5 : Explosions

Eek, sorry it took so long to get up, i've been really busy with school and all.

I think I should quick explain some things, before people get confused. For one thing, my story is a strange mix of stuff, but mainly it takes place after the timeskip. As you've noticed, Sasori isin't dead; that's just because I know nothing of Tobi to write about. Also, Deidara had both of his arms, yet Gaara's Jinchuuriki has already been removed. These are just some small things i've changed to make it easier on me. Sorry for those that are going WTF?! It's just the way I do things. XP.

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**Naruto: The 10th Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter 5: Explosions**

Atop one of his giant clay birds, Deidara examined the Leaf Village from high above, using his mechanical left eye to zoom in and better see things. After some searching, he spotted several ANBU, positioned on the roofs in a square formation. Curious, Deidara studied them for awhile, watching as they slowly moved in sync, always alert.

"Now, I wonder what their up to, hrm?" Deidara mused, commanding his bird to fly a little lower so he could get a better look. From what he saw, the ANBU were keeping their formation centered around one lone girl walking the streets.

"That has to be her, yeah!" Deidara crowed, triumpent that he had found his target. The sun was setting, so Deidara decided to head back, signaling to his bird. The great clay hawk veered about, heading away from the Leaf village and towards a more forested area. Dropping low to the ground, Deidara searched for his comrads. Spotting them, he had his bird land, then hopped from its back, a grin spreading on his face. Hidan and Kakuzu looked up at his arrival, and the silver haired Akatsuki member sank back into another one of his snappy moods.

"Back already?" He growled as Deidara approached, pushing off from the tree he had been leaning against.

"Yes. And I believe I found our Jinchuuriki."

"What?! Already?!" Hidan said, angry that this guy had found the girl so easily. When Deidara merely smirked, Kakuzu had to hold Hidan back so that he didn't leap on the blonde and tear him to pieces.

"Tell me Deidara, did the girl have bright red hair?" Kakuzu asked, while still restraining Hidan. Deidara nodded.

"Also, she appears to have an escort of four ANBU. This will complicate things, hrm?"

"Maybe. But I am sure you can handle it."

"What?! What do you mean?! We're not capturing the girl?" Hidan fussed, and Kakuzu released him.

"No, it would be best for Deidara. He is more skilled at long range." Hidan snarled, but said no more, instead stalking off. Deidara watched him go, a wide grin on his face, before turning back to Kakuzu.

"I will retrieve the Jinchuuriki tommorrow, yeah."

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I awoke early the next day, having promised Naruto I would meet him at the training grounds by sunrise. As usual, my four ANBU guards were there to meet me the minute I stepped outside, before disappering to the rooftops. The day was nice and warm, and as I waited for Naruto to arrive I sat enjoying the sunshine. Ryuu and the others were all hidden within the trees around me, and I could sense where they were by their chakra. When a fifth chakra body started heading my way, I didn't think much of it. I was too relaxed to notice it wasn't familiar, it wasn't even Naruto. When the forest exploded around me, I was totally caught off guard.

None of the explosions had been near enough to cause me any serious damage, but I knew whoever it was had been aiming for the ANBU. Leaping from where I had fallen, I raced to where I felt the nearest person was, and found Ryuu. He was sprawled on the ground, blasted trees and ruined earth were scattered all about him. His mask had been knocked off, and I could see a huge gash across his chest.

"No!" I practically screamed, suddenly scared that yet another person I knew was going to die on me. Rushing to his side, I kneeled on the ground and tried to help him up.

"Ow! Wait, wait. It hurts. Damn, it hurts!" Ryuu detached my hands from his wrists, slumbing back down to the ground. I watched in horror as blood gushed freely from the wound, where shrapnal from the explosion had sliced past him.

"What should I do?" I mumbled to myself, ripping off the sleeves of my shirt and using them to banage the wound as best as possible. It hardly did any good, the wound was too big and the blood flowed too freely. Even as I watched, the scraps of my shirt were stained, and the blood still continued to seep from the gash. I hardly knew Ryuu, yet I had seen too many deaths in my lifetime, I wasn't sure if I could watch another. This being so, I did something I hadn't done in years. Closing my eyes, I concentrated, kneeling silently beside Ryuu. Then, the moment I felt that small string of bright blue chakra, I mentally grasped ahold of it and tugged.

A hissing voice, its tones like venom, penetrated my thoughts then and I tried to keep myself from releasing the chakra thread in horror.

_"Yesss? Do you want my chakra now, after all this time?" _The voice mocked me, cackling gleefully in inhuman laughter. Revolted, I kept the contact between us firm, despite the feeling of dread that rose within me.

_"Very well. I do not understand why you refuse to use my power more often." _The voice cackled again, then faded away, but I could still feel his presence. As long as I remained connected to him via his chakra, I knew he and I were one. As I opened my eyes, the familiar sensation of chakra flooding into every inch of me reminded me what I had to do. Taking both my hands, I pressed them firmly over Ryuu's wound. He gasped, but fell back into unconciousness. I staired at the backs of my hands, willing the chakra to flow from the fingers and into Ryuu's body. I was acutely aware of the creature within me watching this whole process curiously, the thought that he was looking through my own eyes and hearing my thoughts made me want to break the contact immedietly. However, I managed to not do so, instead focusing the chakra to heal Ryuu's wound. In no time at all, I leaned back to study my handiwork, such a thing I had only done twice before in my life. Ryuu lay there, panting heavily from loss of blood, still unconcious. I slowly peeled back the bloody bandages, exposing his unmarked chest. Letting out a sigh of releif, I leaned back, thankfully letting go of the chakra that held connected the Bijuu to me.

"Well, so that's the power of your Jinchuuriki, eh?" A familiar voice mused from behind me, and I whirled around to see Hidan and Kakuzu come striding through the woods.

"Get away from her!" Another voice yelled, and suddenly the other three ANBU were standing between the two Akatsuki and myself, weapons drawn. No one moved, though a malicous grin spread across Hidan's face.

"Wonderful. Four more sacrifices to Jashin." He purred, eyes roving over the three ANBU, and Ryuu where he lay still knocked out. The ANBU didn't waste any more time then, leaping swiftly towards the scythe-weilder. Then Hidan and Kakuzu did something I hadn't quite expected; they retreated, rushing back into the cover of the forest. I watched as the ANBU followed after them until they all were lost from sight. Slightly confused, I wondered why they had done this, and figured out the reason too late.

I had just enough time to turn my head before something collided into me from the side, totally knocking the air out of me. I'm sure I would have gone flying, had the thing that hit me not latched onto me and carried me into the sky. Dazed, I watched as the ground dwindled away, and craning my neck around I looked at my captor. If I had had any air in my lungs, I would have gasped in suprise. The thing holding onto me was a giant white bird with holes for eyes; one of its feet wrapped around my torso. Flapping its great wings, it hauled me high into the sky. Because of the angle I was at, I could see behind the bird. There, trailing after us was another such white bird, with someone dressed in an Akatsuki robe riding on its back. I was too busy stairing at him to notice the barrage of kunai that suddenly flew from below and struck the left wing of the bird holding me. The weapons had hit with such force that the wing cracked, then fell off completely, and I felt myself drop. The bird was still holding onto me even as we fell, the ground rushing up to meet me.

"No!" The blonde man yelled from atop his bird, reaching hastily into the bag at his side. Yanking his hand back out, he threw something into the air. This all happened very fast, and somehow my mind kept up with all of this. I knew that if I died, then the Bijuu inside of me went too. Because of this I knew the blonde Akatsuki member wanted to save me before I fell, but I was aware that he was too far away to do anything. That turned out to not be true I realized, as a tiny white bird, hardly bigger then my own head, zipped through the air impossibly fast towards me. Reaching out its feet, it latched onto my right arm and pulled me upwards. Somehow it yanked me from the grasp of the larger white bird. However, when the small bird tried to stop my fall, I felt my arm snap as I was jerked to a sudden stop. Crying out in pain, I almost lost conciousness at that moment. But, I didn't lose it until I realized the bird couldn't support my weight, and I felt myself falling again, though not as fast. I looked down to watch as the earth rushed up to meet me, then everything went black as the pain became too much.

----------------------------

"Damn!" Deidara cursed as he watched both the Jinchuuriki and his clay birds crash into the trees below.

"This wasn't planned!" He yelled to no one as his bird dived down to the ground. When the Leader found out about this...Deidara didn't want to think about it. Instead he focused on finding where the jicnhi had landed. He had his bird hover just over the tree tops while he peered through the leaves, trying to find the girl.

"Where did the damn kunai come from?!" Deidara cursed, eyes scanning below frantically. It was unlikely one of the ANBU had thrown them, unless they had wanted her to fall to her death. Shaking his head, the man used his left eye to better see, but there was too much foilage in the way, and he still couldnt find her.

--------------------------

I awoke, and the moment I tried to move I regretted it. I hurt all over, expecially my right shoulder, where it felt as if my arm had been ripped off. Lying there, I tried to remember what had happened. I remembered falling, but nothing after that. Taking a good look around, I saw I was lying in the middle of a forest, and uncomftorably so. I realized then that the pain in my back was because I was lying something, and it was jabbing me harshly. Taking it slowly, I carefully got up into a sitting position. Rubbing my sore head and trying not to move my arm, I dug whatever it was out of my back. Stairing at it for some time, I realized it was a piece of that blonde guy's small white bird. Sure enough, when I turned around I saw what was left of the bird after it had collided with the ground; pieces of it were everywhere. In the distance I could see the much larger white bird had been destroyed on impact as well.

Gazing upward, I could see the hole in the tree canopy that my fall had punched through it. My arms and legs were covered with minor scratches that were already disappearing, but my arm would take much longer to heal. Still moving slowly, I climbed to my feet, my right arm hanging limply at my side. Leaning aginst the nearest tree, I tried to think of what to do. It shouldn't take that blonde Akatsuki guy long to find me, unless I found a place to better hide myself from his ariel view. Starting off at a stumbling trot, I winced everytime I took a step.

"This isn't going to be easy." I breathed slowly, wanting desperetly to not have to move at all. Closing my eyes, I tried to sense the chakra of the ANBU, or at least Ryuu. But I was horribly suprised when instead I felt five strange chakra bodies moving my way, and fast. I didn't have it in me to run, they'd catch me anyway, so why bother? I stayed that way, standing hunched over in the middle of the road, until five ninja appeared before me. By their headbands, I judged them to be from the Rock Village.

"You Akane Akemi?" One of them asked, I judged him to be the leader of their squad. I merely nodded, too beat up to bother awnsering them. The squad leader nodded to his men, and two of them stepped foreward to take my arms. I cried out in agony when the one man grabbed my right arm and twisted it, and I lashed violently out at him. The ninja staggered back, four long tears ripped down his cheek from my nails. I didn't get much satisfaction from that, my arm hurt way too much. I had fallen to my knees, vision blurred from the tears that had gathered. I sensed that these ninja took pity on me, for they didn't try to tie my hands behind my back. Instead, they forced me to march down the road, with ninja infront and behind me. I followed without complaint, eyes cast down to the ground miseribly. This kind of thing seemed to be happening to me alot, I thought humorlessly.

The six of us had not gone far before an explosion ripped the ground apart infront of us. Everyone fell as the ground rocked beneath our feet, and derbies flew everywhere. I tried to protect my face with one arm, while gritting my teeth to keep myself from screaming out in pain. Something had struck me on the shoulder when the explosion happened, and the pain was immense, as if my arm had been yanked from its socket all over again. When the dust had settled, the ninja around me collected themselves quickly, and I watched as weapons appeared in their hands.

"Well well Deidara, didn't expect to see you here." I looked up to see who the squad leader had spoken to, and saw that the blonde guy with the white birds was standing further down the path. I saw that he too seemed a little suprised that this ninja knew them, then I saw his eyes glance at their forehead protectors, and he grimaced.

"And I didn't expect to see ninja from the Earth Country in Konoha's territory." Deidara said, glaring at the ninjas hatefully.

"You certintly saved our hunter ninja the trouble of finding you." The squad leader said malicously, falling into an attack stance with the others following suit. Deidara shook his head slightly, and he suddenly smiled.

"I left your pathetic village for a reason; all the ninja there were weaklings, with no sense of true art." Deidara declared, reaching into a bag at his waist and drawing out something white. I didn't see what he did with this, all I know is it disappeared a second later.

"Tell me, why is the Rock Village interested in that girl, hmm?"

"Because, she had been deemed too dangerous, and because her clan was from our village in the past, it is our duty to kill her." Both Deidara and I were shocked by this awnser. I had known my clan was from their village, but it suprised me they though it their duty to do away with me. Deidara on the other hand didn't know I was from his country, and this seemed to bother him somehow.

The next moment the rock ninja's launched themselves at Deidara, but they were too slow. A white bird decended from the sky, and Deidara lept to its back and out of harms way before the ninja ever had a chance to attack. Hovering above us, I watched as Deidara threw something into the air, and whatever it was fell some feet away from me. I examined it without getting too close, and saw it was a little figure carved out of some white matierl same as the birds, made into the shape of what looked like a dog of some sort. I didn't see Deidara's hand movements, I was too busy studying the figurine, when it suddenly exploded in a cloud of smoke. Suddenly a huge white wolf was standing before me in place of the tiny one. The thing too had no eyes, just black indents, but I shuddered as it suddenly turned towards me, as if looking at me. I saw that the other ninja were just realizing what was going on then. Two of them split off from the others and came racing back my way. The wolf thing turned to face them, then suddenly charged. I didn't stay to watch what happened next; I ran.


End file.
